NBA trade on the decline as league endures longest no-trade streak since 1968

There have been a number of National Basketball Association (NBA) trade rumours arising in recent weeks. While this may be innocuous at first, further digging into this phenomenon uncovers a single truth. The NBA is in its longest no-trade streak since 1968.

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In an off-season that was eventful, to say the least, the NBA stood witness to a number of high-profile trades. Russell Westbrook, Kemba Walker, Kevin Durant, Paul George and Anthony Davis are just some of the high-profile names to have been a part of some major changes in the off-season. However, the months of August, September, October and November have seen absolutely no trades this season, which is somewhat startling, considering the season some of the teams in the NBA have had so far.

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NBA Trade Rumours drying up

The last trade to have happened in the NBA was the Russell Westbrook-Chris Paul transaction that involved the Houston Rockets and OKC Thunder. Since then, a prolonged lull has fallen over the NBA trade market. NBA executives believe this is partly down to the fact that there are a number of players who have switched teams this season, which means that they may require a bedding-in period of sorts to acclimatise to their new teams. Interestingly, as many as six players that made All-NBA teams switched rosters this summer, which could very well be the highest number in NBA history.

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Perhaps surprisingly, the Warriors have also chosen to remain out of the trade market. The Golden State Warriors have experienced a sharp downturn in fortunes this season, despite a strong finish to the 2018-19 season that saw them finish as Western Conference champions for the fifth consecutive season. Injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have seen them miss a majority of the games, with rookies like Jordan Poole and Ky Bowman filling out the minutes for the Warriors. The Warriors currently have the worst record in the NBA, registering a 4-17 record so far. However, Stephen Curry remains optimistic about salvaging something from the Warriors’ season once Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russel are back on the court.

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